


Nymph of the Nine Circles - Book One: Impure Hierarchy

by Volitionn_Arts



Series: Nymph of the Nine Circles [3]
Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: AU, Original Character(s), origin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:22:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26378746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Volitionn_Arts/pseuds/Volitionn_Arts
Summary: Eris' time as a payed studio contributor begins
Series: Nymph of the Nine Circles [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1916956
Kudos: 4





	Nymph of the Nine Circles - Book One: Impure Hierarchy

The light in my room hasn’t changed since last night, and yet my eyes immediately begin to well with tears as the bright pink rays strike my retinas. I begin to tilt forward, my feet moving to keep underneath me until I fall forward onto my mattress. My face presses down into the thick comforter, and I can feel, more intensely than before, the incessant throbbing of the gums around my new gold tooth. I’m tempted to pull my face out of the covers, but it’s not worth it. I’ve used up more than my daily allotment of determination. Getting back up can wait until tomorrow. 

The party, if you could call it a party, what with its mixed mood and almost apologetic congratulations, had really done a number on me. Dusk and Sugar seemed happy enough, talking me up about anything they could and honestly making me feel like less of a stranger. Still, I couldn’t help but notice Angel’s aloof gaze, his small twitches and glares of anger in Val’s direction, the way he and Opal looked at each other, the way he glanced at me. He looked ill, like something was deathly wrong with him, as if he couldn’t bear to see me smile. I couldn’t distract myself from Gianni’s silence, arguably the most deafening part of the whole affair. He gave me passing glances, only saying the occasional, “You doing alright?” or responding shortly when someone else engaged with him. Then, as soon as I thanked Val for the introduction and mentioned it had been a big day, everyone seemed more than willing to begin dispersing, Dusk even offering to walk me back to my room. It was a kind offer, yet I politely declined, assuring him, Gianni, and Angie that I wanted to walk back to my room on my own. 

Between there, the lounge, and here, the dark embrace of my comforter, there was only silence and a feeling of tightness in my chest. A tightness that persists now, so docile in comparison to my arrival in the pentagram. The thought coaxes a chuckle from my lips, muffled by the comforter at first before I push myself up and sit on my calves, freeing the mildly pained chuckles from my lips, then letting a sigh wash the giggles away. I stay in this position a bit, not moving a muscle but to blink a couple times as I wonder to myself why I’m sitting like this in the first place. I then lay back down, rolling over onto my side and wriggling my way out of my leggings. I sit up and pull my shirt off, tossing it and my pants into the bin by the closet door. I then curl my legs up to slide them underneath my comforter, letting out a deep sigh as the linen settles around my body. I close my eyes, only for my ears to flick up at the sound of a light rapping at my door. 

“Who is it?” I grunt loudly, barely opening my eyes to glance at the door. The handle twists, and the door opens in a few timid and slow movements to reveal a familiar face. 

“You okay, Eris?” Gianni mews, resting his cheek on the door. I look towards him, his silhouette barely cresting past the door. It seemed he was almost nervous to come closer. 

“You can come in,” I say shortly, pulling my comforter up and over my shoulders, leaving only my head visible from underneath the thick blanket. 

“That… That doesn’t answer my question, Eris,” he says, disconnecting his shadowy outline from the door and letting it close as he moves calmly towards me, begging the question once more, “Are you okay?”

I pause, trying and failing to hold back a sigh as I search for a hint of his face in the dark room. “I’m… I’ve been better,” I say, my body relaxing as I feel the bed shift under his weight. He kneels next to the bed, resting his elbows on the mattress and looking at me, his pupils glowing softly as they gather up all the light in the room. “Could you turn on a light or something?” I ask, trying to sound perky and light-hearted. Of course, Gio sees right through it, calmly reaching over and flicking on a lamp, releasing a soft white glow, just bright enough to light up his face. 

“I’ve been better too,” he begins, a wry smile cresting over his lips, “but that still doesn’t tell me whether you’re okay or not.” He leans closer to me with a soft, stern expression, one hand twitching as if wanting to reach out and touch me. He abstains, sliding that hand off the bed and towards his lap. 

“I don’t know,” I admit after a long pause, my eyes hiding from Gianni’s gaze, only flicking back up to meet him occasionally, “I… feel… broken, in a strange way. Yet, I also can’t imagine a better outcome.”

“I think I can,” Gianni immediately replies, his voice stronger and steadier than before, “and I would hope you can too.” He eyes me intently, causing me to lower my eyes yet again. 

“You’re right,” I say, sighing my words out as I force my eyes back to his, pulling my blanket higher against my neck, “These last two days have been awful.”

“Indeed they have been,” he says, his wry smile fading as he backs away slightly, “which is why I felt I had to come and check up on you, even against Angel’s recommendation.”

“I appreciate it, Gio,” I say, “but Angel might have been right. I don’t know what to say.”

Gianni sighs softly, sitting on his knees and nodding his head weakly before asking, “Can you at least tell me if you’re safe?” His eyes again settle on mine, his lips trying hopelessly to hide his begging expression. I pause, perhaps for a little too long before speaking again. 

“I’ll be fine. I’m just sore, stressed, confused, and a little beat up. I’m still healing from-” my jaw clenches, my whole body tensing up in response. I let out a choked gust of air, grunting and gasping at the same time as a sharp jolt of pain shoots from my gold tooth, ceasing just as suddenly as it started. “From. F-from yesterday,” I say, my body shivering under my warm blanket. I bury my face in my pillow, breathing deeply against the white linen of my pillowcase. My ears flick as I hear Gianni stand up and glance towards the door, hesitating before managing to speak again. 

“I’m sorry. Angel was right,” he says, turning and beginning to walk towards the door, “You know where to find me.” The door shuts, and another familiar voice follows, not seeming too pleased at Gianni’s emergence from my room. I turn my head, freeing my nose and mouth from the grip of my pillow, trying to get my breathing under control. A wave of regret immediately hits me. I want to tell him it’s okay, that he didn’t know that would happen, that I didn’t know that would happen, that I was happy he had come to see how I was doing. Was I happy he had come to see me? Yes, but no. Do I want to see him again? Yes, absolutely, but not now. I have… I have something I need to take care of. Wait. Do I? What do I need to do? 

I sit up again, scooting back to rest against the wall. I glance towards the window, letting out a deep, long caged yawn before sliding off the bed and over to the windowseat. I pick up a pillow and rest it on the windowsill, leaning against it and yawning yet again as I look out over the nightly pentagram bustle. There it all was, the clocktower, the spinning pentagram in the night sky. My eternal prison, and all the ants moving from point A to point B, just like I imagine people do when they’re alive, wherever those people are. I move my elbows out of the way and rest my chin against the pillow, letting out a sigh, then a yawn, then a soft grunt. The deep yawn brings a few stinging tears to my eyes. I blink them away and wipe my cheeks dry, then shut my eyelids for a while to moisten my eyes back up. I look back down at the streets, searching for a particularly large sinner I was occupied with. I scan the bright streets below me in slight confusion. How did I lose him? I reach up and rub the sleep out of my eyes, then I pause, my body slumping in realization. 

“Fuck… Guess I really was tired,” I mumble to myself, turning to sit in a reclining position on the window seat and looking through the somewhat dewey glass at the now-crimson sky, “What fuckin’ time is it?” I get on my feet and stride over towards my nightstand, picking up my phone and turning it on. “Eight AM, great. Looks like a glorified blink is all I get between full days down here,” I chide to myself with an empty chuckle, opening the phone and sitting on the edge of my bed. “Let’s see… Contacts…” I say, blinking my aching eyes as I open the list. I wait for it to load, then sigh dryly. “Of course, it’s only you,” I grunt, one corner of my mouth pulling back in deep distaste. I lower the phone, my face going blank. Where the fuck was Angie’s room? I glance back to my phone, my finger hovering over the message button. 

“Fuck it,” I utter, hitting it and immediately getting to the point. 

_u got angies number? I thought it would be on the phone already but i cant find it._

_Eris! Yes indeed I do. I was planning on giving you a ring, but I suppose it can wait for a while. Unless you have a minute, of course~_

_Contact: Angel Dust_

_Thanks for the number, val. Just woke up so i ain’t really in the mood to hash_

_anything out right now_

_What gave you the impression I wanted to hash anything out? Would it be wrong of me to simply want to chat?_

_If you call, I might answer. I’m just…_

_Ah, I see. I think I understand enough._

_You do?_

_Take your time, nymph. You’ve got a few days until work begins._

_Call or text when you’re ready, dearest_

_Of course, Val. Talk to you soon_

_I certainly hope so, sunshine~_

I click on the contact and, without a moment’s hesitation, press the button that looks like a phone. I place the phone to my ear, the phone ringing only a couple times before a soft click is heard, followed by a familiar, if slightly confused voice.

“Hello?” Angel says. 

“Hey, Angie!” I respond, surprised by my almost sing-song tone. 

“Eris? That you?” 

“Yeah,” I say, “It’s me. Just got your number from Val.”

“Ooh,” he says before inhaling sharply, “How’d that go?”

“He said he wanted to.. Chat?” I say, wondering if he had any insight. 

“Did you?” 

“Nah,” I say, obvious relief coming across in my voice, “I think he knows why, too.”

“Yeah. He fuckin’ better,” Angie mutters, “So, what’s got ya ringin’ me up this early? You coulda slept in till the afternoon.”

“Well,” I begin, pausing to figure out exactly what I want to say, “I wanted to head to your spot instead of waiting for you to come to me. Figured I’d ask you where your room is.”

“Oh!” he exclaims, seeming a little more lighthearted, “Well I could tell ya, but I ain’t there at the moment.”

“Where you at?”  
  


“I spent the night with Opal,” he says before another voice in the background chimes in a bit. Angel pauses, then says my name, letting who I assumed was Opal know that he was talking to me. “She says she’s down for you to come over if you want. That, or we could come to you. Your choice, short stack.”

“I’ll come to you, if that’s aight,” I say, turning the phone to speaker and walking into the closet, throwing on the comfiest things I would be okay going out in before braiding my hair and putting on eyeshadow, liner, and just a touch of mascara. 

“You hearin’ me, short stack?” Angie says, snapping me out of my funk. 

“Huh?”

“I said lemme know when you’re ready and I’ll tell ya how to get ‘ere,” he says slowly, with just a hint of sass tossed in for good measure. 

“Hit me with the room number,” I say, cracking my neck as I stand up and start heading for the door. 

I find the door ajar, choosing to knock anyways. “Door’s open, Eris!” Opal says. 

“Yeah, I know,” I respond before pushing the door open and walking inside. Angel and Opal are reclining on a couple of loveseats, both glancing in my direction. I shut the door behind me and take a seat on the end of the bed, glancing between the two mildly before saying, “Hey!”

“Hello, Eris,” Opal responds, smiling warmly at me. 

“Nice to see ya, shorty,” Angie says, wearing a more neutral expression.

“Thanks for havin’ me,” I say, sighing and sliding off the bed to sit on the floor with my back resting against the side of it, “How’s the mornin? What’s got you two misfits up so early?”

Opal chuckles smoothly and tosses a sharp glance at Angie. “This one’s an early riser, and he moves a lot when he’s trying to get comfy,” she says, covering her grin with a hand, “He’s an alarm clock, and someone forgot to put a snooze button on him.”

Angie purses his lips at the butterfly, chiding back, “‘Ey, you ain’t spent a night with this ‘lil nymph tanglin’ himself up wit’cha. Least not yet.”

“Hm. Alarm clock?” I say, mocking confusion, “You really let me snooze for two and a half hours with my face in your bust when you were over, didn’t ya?” I snicker over at the arachnid, Opal’s eyes widening and flickering between me and Angel for a bit. 

“Wait,” she says hesitantly, “Angel. Is he serious?”

Angel glares at me, as if trying to burn the memory out of my head with his eyes before giving up and shrugging dismissively. “I was feelin’ generous. Somethin’ wrong wit’ that?” he says indignantly, crossing his lower set of arms and placing the upper set behind his head. 

“Not at all, Angie,” I say, feeling my expression soften, “It was appreciated.” 

Just as Angel begins to look towards me and acknowledge my thanks, Opal speaks up again. “If he’s too much trouble for you, hot stuff, I could take over.”

“Goodness, you guys love to make me regret being nice,” Angel says, a smile forming across his lips as my smile fades, “but anyways, you ain’t lookin’ like you’re just here to chit chat, Eris. Anything else you needed?”

I go still for a bit, then shrug. “I guess I didn’t plan for it to be three of us. Not that I mind too much, but my intention was to get to know where abouts I could find you if I needed to, Angie.”

“Ah, I see,” he responds, glancing over at Opal and then looking back to me. “Is it urgent?”

I shake my head. “I think it can wait. I’m still just wanting to decompress, now that I’m thinking about it.” I smile, giving him a somewhat forced toothy grin.

Angel’s features soften, his eyes zoning out on me as his brow furrows. He shuts his eyes and shakes his head a bit. “Yeah, I think I might take a little time, too,” he says, standing up and nodding to Opal. “I’ll see you around, short stack,” he says, “just hit me up if you wanna talk.” And with that, he takes his leave, the door closing on me and the butterfly, who moves to sit on the bed. 

“You gonna head out too?” she asks curiously, one hand lightly patting my shoulder. 

I consider it for a minute, but decide meeting someone new could be a good change of pace. “Nah,” I say, standing up and taking a seat next to the tall creature on the bed, “I don’t see a real reason to. I mean, what the fuck else am I gonna do? Cage myself in a room with my thoughts? I left the room to get my mind off this whole ordeal for a while.”

“Mmm. There’s nothing wrong with taking a day, you know. As long as you don’t have work to do, of course,” she responds, keeping her eyes locked on mine. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but it doesn’t seem like you’re too thrilled about being here. Angie didn’t seem too thrilled in the lounge last night either. I don’t wanna pry, but, I can’t help but wonder what’s going on.” 

“It’s a long story,” I say, chuckling dryly, “well… I mean. You want the short version?”

“Any version you want me to hear, Eris,” she says, placing a hand on my shoulder comfortingly. 

“So. I’ve only been down here for like two weeks tops. When I first, I dunno… um…”

“Arrived?”

“Yeah, that. When I first arrived, I could barely breathe, and I ended up catching Angel’s attention. He called Val, and next thing I knew a limo pulled up and whisked me here. Val gave me ten days to decide whether I wanted to work here or take a shot out on my own. And… and…” I stumble over my words, not managing to continue.

“Well, we know how that ended up, and there’s no use getting down on yourself about it,” Opal says, “Come to think of it, what did you do before you ended up down here?”

My breath catches in my throat. “Well… Um… About that.”

“Trust me, I’m in no position to judge,” Opal says with a giggle. 

“No, no, it isn’t that,” I say, trying to find a way to avoid the topic, “I don’t know. I can’t remember.”

“You don’t?” she says, raising her eyebrows at me, “Strange. I just couldn’t believe I was waking up when I got here.”

“Gianni said sometimes it takes a while to remember,” I say with a shrug, “I’m hoping he’s right.”

“I’ve heard of it taking a couple days, but almost two weeks?” she remarks, looking at the floor in thought. “That’s peculiar. Goodness, that doesn’t make your choice all that difficult, does it?”

“All I know is the studio,” I say, “The only experience I have being on my own is not being able to breath and getting yelled at by a big alligator dude pushing a cart. I can’t help but feel like it wasn’t meant to be a choice in the first place.”

“It doesn’t sound like much of one to me,” she says, “but then again, this place isn’t known for its commitment to fairness.”

“Thanks for tellin’ me, miss,” I say, my tone sharper than before, “but that made itself apparent the second I got here. Figured lots of schmucks would love to be where I’m at, and I don’t much fancy the idea of dying.. Well… again?”

Opal begins chuckling, then goes silent, thinking to herself for a bit before turning back to me and saying, “Well, for better or for worse, I’m glad you’re here. You seem more than pleasant enough, and you’re a joy to talk to.”

“Thanks,” I say flatly, “That helps more than you think.”

“Don’t mention it,” she says before standing up with an apologetic look in her face. “Now I wish we could just sit around and chat, but today isn’t my day off, and I have to start getting prepped up for a shoot. So unfortunately, I have to give you the boot. I’ll get your number from Angie and let you know when I’m done, though. Just let me know before you show up at the door. You don’t want me mistaking you for Val.”

I stand up, smiling as Opal guides me to the door. I turn around and smile, giving her a nod of thanks and getting a wink in return before the door closes, leaving me with my phone and the hallway. Without thinking, I head to the lobby to tend to my rumbling stomach. The elevator ride seems longer than usual, thoughts of uncertainty echoing against my skull until the doors open again. Before I know it, I find myself stepping through the curtains to the platinum dining area and sitting down at a corner booth. A thick accent captures my attention. 

“Well if it ain’t the nymph the spider dragged in,” Luca says, giving me a sideways glance as he stands across the table from me, “Where’s that eight legged deviant, by the way? He came by just a bit ago. Didn’t seem to be in the best of spirits.”

“Probably fluffing up his chest in his room,” I respond coyly, “he says my head left a dent. Probably explains the bad mood too.”

The pigeon smiles ever-so-slightly, pulling out his note-pad and saying, “I’m sure you ain’t just here to detail your exploits with that dusty arachnid. You wanna start off with a drink, nymph?”

“A mimosa sounds suitable,” I respond, “did you end up adding pigeon to the menu?” I grin at him, chuckling lightheartedly. 

Luca’s eyebrows lift momentarily, then tuck close to his eyes. “Seems like the only new item on the menu is sitting in front of me,” he says with no hint of humor, closing his book. I feel the color instantly retreat from my face, my lips closing and pressing to each other. The pigeon moves closer to the table and puts his hands behind his back. 

“You got me, Luca,” I say, looking up towards him, careful not to let my wry smile get too revealing. “I cashed in my _golden ticket_.”

“Big day, yesterday was, huh?” he asks, keeping a casual tone, but lacking the animation he had a minute ago. 

“You- That’s one way to put it for sure,” I say, reflexibly chuckling as I shrug the invasive thoughts and sensations away, the throbbing in my gums suddenly overwhelming. 

“We have a broccoli puree and parmesan soup, if that’ll tide you over,” Luca offers gruffly, “You’re lookin’ pale, it’ll do ya good.” He doesn’t wait for me to accept, taking his pad out and hurriedly scribbling something on it. “I’ll have it out for you soon. I’ll be back in a sec,” he says, lingering to see if I respond. 

I give him a weak nod and raise my hand up, saying, “Thanks, Luca,” before letting my eyes lower and focus on my hands. Just as Luca had promised, the soup was out in a manner of minutes along with a rather tasty mimosa. I sipped the drink down fairly quickly, then took a large spoonful of the soup and let it wash over my tongue. Luca’s recommendation was spot on, and for just a second, the warm, thick soup made me forget my gums were still throbbing. 

After another serving of the soup and one more ordered to be delivered to the room, Luca came by the table as I was standing up to leave. 

“Take the day easy,” he said, placing a hand on my bicep, “Enjoy the soup, and call 000 if you want anymore. You got me, nymph?”

“I’m pickin’ up what you’re puttin’ down,” I say with a nod, placing my hands in my pockets. 

“You wanna get somethin’ to eat tonight, I’ll be here with a recommendation. Keep it in mind, pesto cheeks,” he says before waving me off. 

“I’ll see you around, Luca,” I say, letting my feet carry me through the lobby, into the elevator, then directly to my room, where a serving of broccoli soup is waiting for me. I grab it and enter my room, sitting at my vanity and drinking the soup down, hardly noticing the soup was a little too hot. Tears spring to my eyes, but I continue gulping the liquid down until there’s nothing left, letting the tears stream down my cheeks before hurriedly setting the tray down outside my door and hurrying to the window seat, sniffling as the tears don’t stop coming. 

I open my phone and send a message to Val. 

_Hey Val. I got some free time…_

_Can’t talk on the phone, but messaging works_

As I wait for a response, I again preoccupy myself with the mulling about of the tiny sinners on the streets below me. 

_Works just fine for me, sunshine~ I forgot that just because some people have the day off, I don’t get that luxury quite so often._ _  
  
_

_What’s on your mind? You mentioned wanting to chat._

_Oh, nothing in particular. You mentioned once that you were having trouble remembering your time before the pentagram. That does interest me._

_Nothing new in that department, unfortunately. Still drawing blanks._

_Intriguing… Do take your time with that, gorgeous~_

_What about you? Anything you wanna tell me?_

_To be quite fair, Eris, that information is relatively private. I merely am interested in if you remember or not. If you wish to not tell me what happened when you remember, I will only be mildly miffed._

_Can’t say that surprises me_

_Don’t get too comfy, Eris. There are scenes I could move up in my schedule. My courtesy is not to be taken for granted, sunshine~_

_Did I ever mention your little pet name is pretty clever?_

_I do believe you mentioned that.. But if not, I do thank you._

Between every bout of messages, there was anywhere between a few minutes to what felt like quite the stretch. As I finish another bowl of soup, Opal’s shoot wanders across my brain. I nod to myself as the conversation winds down, again plopping down at the window seat and looking out across the pentagram. The mid-afternoon sun slowly begins to descend towards the horizon, a slow train of thoughts chugging through my brain as an early evening scarlett catches my attention. Then, my phone vibrates again. 

_I’ve said it before, but I truly am elated you made the choice you did. Do enjoy the next_

_few days, sunshine~_

_Your smile at the party last night really did glow like the sun._

My brow furrows, my chest tightening along with my jaw as I clench my phone in my hand, a mix of disgust and hopeless unfairness consuming my very being before giving way to bleak acceptance. No use getting upset right now. I glance out the window and feel my features soften. 

I grab a blazer and bow tie from the closet and walk out the door, taking long strides all the way through the revolving doors, ignoring the few sets of eyes that track me. I had taken it easy all day, when all I needed was to take myself elsewhere. 

I move through the easy, steady flow of sinners down Pentagram Boulevard, before turning right on Second Ring Avenue. Two blocks down, the sight I had needed all day causes my eyes to light up, seeming to sparkle even though I couldn’t see it.

The sign for ImpTail Tavern flickers welcomingly as I step under its shadow.

  
  



End file.
